Three Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts seniors have been selected to receive a QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship.
Ghailan Fadah of Pine Bluff, Riasat Omar of Little Rock and Haven Whitney of Searcy were selected to receive scholarships through the program. QuestBridge is a nonprofit organization that connects exceptional low-income youth with leading institutions of higher education. QuestBridge works with top universities across the country to offer four-year, full scholarships to deserving students who may otherwise be unable to afford to attend those institutions.
QuestBridge partnered this year with 40 colleges and universities to offer scholarships at institutions such as Duke University, Rice University, Stanford University and others.
Students apply for the scholarships through the Common Application, which is used by many educational institutions for admission. QuestBridge applicants write an essay to accompany the application. They may list up to eight of the partner schools at which they would like to be considered for admission.
Fadah was matched with Colby College, the 12th-oldest private liberal arts college in the country. It is located in Waterville, Maine. Fadah said he had six schools on his list of schools, all of which he considered equal for the most part. He plans to major in neuroscience.
He said receiving a match reassured him that hard work does pay off, “and that someone believes in me and is willing to bet on it. … [My mom] made sure to remind me to give thanks not only to God but to every single person that helped me throughout my journey at ASMSA, whether it was just showing me around campus on the first day or guiding me through the chaotic college process. That’s a lot of people that I have to thank, and I’m still working on it.”
Omar received a scholarship offer from Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he plans to major in mathematical economics with a computer science minor. Besides the mountainous location, Omar liked the institution’s unique block scheduling plan. He also pointed out that its students are recognized as “some of the hardest working college students in the nation.”
He said the QuestBridge National Match program allowed him to apply to elite colleges without having to worry about financial restrictions. Omar said it was a great relief to not have to worry about college applications for the remainder of the school year. He also got a bonus for his selection from his roommate.
“My roommate bet a Popeye’s chicken sandwich that I was not going to get matched. When the decisions came out, I was in my room while my roommate was losing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. I opened the decision and found out that I got matched to Colorado College. I paused my roommate’s video game and said, ‘You owe me a chicken sandwich,’” he said.
Whitney, who plans to major in computer science, was matched with Yale University. She said while MIT may have been her first choice, the offer from Yale was a relief for her and her family.
“For both me and my family, it is a giant weight off our shoulders,” Whitney said. “Worrying about college has been my primary pastime this year, and to know I’ve been admitted to a fairly prestigious school for free has been incredibly relieving.”